03 booklet siskali ee completo

European Commission’s Lifelong Learning Programme 2007-2013 - Grundtvig Learning Partnerships

2012-1-GB2-GRU06-08436

1

I Feel GREAT!

MTÜ SIKSALI ARENDUSSELTS (EE)

MTÜ SIKSALI ARENDUSSELTS Food in… Starters Main Courses Desserts

What's On YOUR Plate? I Feel GREAT!

European Commission’s Lifelong Learning Programme 2007-2013 - Grundtvig Learning Partnerships 2012-1-GB2-GRU06-08436

2

MTÜ SIKSALI RENDUSSELTS

Siksali Development Centre is a non-profit organisation in South-Eastern Estonia. This is one of the most underdeveloped parts of the country, with biggest unemployment and lowest salaries. The Centre was established, in order to help local people to find new ideas for alternative economic activities. Thus our main target group is people at risk of social and economical exclusion, due to their peripheral location and difficult socio-economical status. The Centre was established in 2002. We have completed many international co-operation projects on environmental and rural development issues – village and community development, environmental awareness raising, rural tourism, rural activisation, non-formal education etc, funded by Leonardo, Grundtvig, Swedish Institute, Nordic Council of Ministers as well as Estonian national funding. We have also hosted many Leonardo mobility projects over the years, the delegations have come from countries like Latvia, Lithuania, Greece, Sweden, Slovenia, Turkey, Finland, Ireland, Norway etc. The themes of mobilities have been different: handicrafts, arts, ecological farming, adult education, national parks administration, safety of harbours etc. We have a good network of partners to ensure high quality programmes in South and South-East Estonia. Siksali Development Centre has also administrated and co-ordinated Environmental Awareness Projects in Võru county from 2003-2009, as a partner of environmental investment centre.

What's On YOUR Plate? I Feel GREAT!


3

Food in…

• Introduction to Estonian food • Estonian cuisine • Estonia in EU's Top 3 for Share of Overweight Women • The young Estonians’ eating habits – youngsters about themselves

INTRODUCTION TO ESTONIAN FOOD

The majority of Estonian food is very simple, and for a long time, grain and bread were in first place, with

potatoes being added later. Milk, salted fish, and pork have also been part of the daily menu.

Traditional Estonian cuisine has substantially been based on meat and potatoes, and on fishin

coastal and lakeside areas, but now bears influence from many other cuisines of nearby

countries. Scandinavian, German, Russian and other influences have played their part. The most

typical foods in Estonia have been rye bread, pork, potatoes and dairy products. Estonian eating

habits have historically been closely linked to the seasons.

Popular Estonian dishes:

Cold table

The first course in traditional Estonian cuisine is based on cold dishes - a selection of meats

and sausages served with potato salad or rosolje, an Estonian signature dish, based on beetroot,

potatoes and herring. Herring is common among other fish as a part of the Estonian cold table. One of

Estonia's national dishes is räim (Baltic dwarf herring).

Estonian potato salad Rosolje Salted herring with onions and sour cream

Soups

Soups are traditionally eaten before the main course and most often are made of meat or chicken

stock mixed with a variety of vegetables.

What's On YOUR Plate? I Feel GREAT! ________________________________________


Pea soup Chicken and dumping soup Cold soup

Main course

Pork and potatoes accompanied by a rich gravy and often served with sauerkraut or other vegetables

has been the traditional Estonian main course. Pork has been the most important meat and is eaten

roasted, cured as bacon, in the form of ham, or in pies and sausages.

Black rye bread accompanies almost every savory food in Estonia. Instead of wishing "bon appetit",

Estonians are prone to say jätku leiba ("may your bread last"). Estonians continue to value their

varieties of black rye-based bread. Estonia has not been a land of plenty. If a piece of bread was

dropped on the floor, it was good form to pick it up, kiss it to show respect, and eat it. When Estonians

live abroad, they often say that they miss black bread the most.

Pork with sauerkraut +

potatoes

Mixed vegetables with pork Rye bread

Desserts

Specific desserts include kissel, curd snack and kama. Other common Estonian desserts

are mannavaht (a cream made of semoline and juice or fruit), kohupiimakreem (creamy curd)

or kompott. Rhubarb pies are also a favorite. Another popular dessert is kringle (Estonian: kringel), a

sweet yeast bread.



Kama mousse Mannavaht (semolina mousse) Kringel

Past and present

The previous segments have dealt largely with the most basic underpinnings of traditional Estonian

food, as handed down by an agrarian society and adapted to modern times in the most traditional of

senses. It would be wrong to conclude that there isn't much more to the national cuisine. Many

influences have nudged modern Estonian eating into more diverse and open directions. Early

influences that diversified the eating experience came through theHanseatic League. Small Estonia

has been conquered and ruled by many foreign powers, ranging from the Danes, Germans, Poles,

and Swedes to the Russians. German nobles who colonized the Estonian countryside with hundreds

of manors were modernizers over the centuries, and also acted as a transmission belt of Continental

influences on Estonian cooking, although for a great many years, precious few of these influences

trickled down to the impoverished Estonian peasants.

Things began to change with the gradual emancipation of the Estonian people in the 19th century and

as a result of urbanization. By the time that Estonia enjoyed national independence between the two

World Wars, Tallinn, Tartu and Parnu as well as other Estonian urban centers sported a diverse

variety of restaurants and cafes that featured dishes from many European cuisines as well as the local

menu. There was also a flowering of good cooking in Estonian homes throughout the country. A

variety of newer Estonian dishes were developed, and cooks and housewives experimented with

foods from other cultures.

All of this came to a crashing halt in 1940, when the Baltic States were annexed by the USSR,

restaurants were nationalized and closed down, and the few that were left suffered from a chronic

shortage of ingredients. Although those who still had access to garden plots were able to supplement

the limited variety of foods that were offered in Soviet-era food stores and markets, the period from

1940 to the early nineties brought with it a tragic decline, compared to the golden days of the twenties

and thirties. On the other hand, migrants from various parts near and far of the USSR brought new

recipes and styles. Even now, the foods of the Georgians, Azerbaijanis and others make the culinary

experience in Estonia less one-sided.

Since the reestablishment of independence in 1991, Estonian cuisine has rebounded, slowly at first.

Some good dishes enjoyed before WW II have not returned, while many others have. A number of

restaurants in Tallinn and other Estonian cities have introduced culinary experiences previously not

known, such as Indian and Mexican food. At the same time, a number of modern-day restaurateurs

such as Imre Kose, Imre Sooäär, Dimitri Demjanov, and Kadri Kroon have not only introduced



international dishes, but have also tweaked classical Estonian dishes in directions they had never

gone before. They have created totally new and sometimes amazing combinations that may draw on

local ingredients, but use the entire palette of innovations that a contemporary cook can allow him or

herself. Some of the fusion and other ideas conjured up by Kose, for example, is groundbreaking.

Although home cooks tend to be more conservative, they too try new things at a more tempered pace.

Therefore modern Estonian cooking is in flux. Traditional dishes are still common and even cherished,

but Estonian cuisine is not static either. All in all, Estonian rural fare is good and hearty, while the

better kitchens of establishments in the larger Estonian cities and towns can justifiably be proud of

themselves

Websites with information about Estonian food

http://www.eestitoit.ee/?page_id=159&language=en

http://www.inyourpocket.com/estonia/tallinn/Estonian-cuisine_55202f

http://www.estinst.ee/issues/149_EstonianCuisine.pdf

Websites with recipies

http://www.kokaraamat.ee/rahvustoidud.php?cat=2 (Estonian national dishes)

Pictures of Estonian national dishes

http://www.maaturism.ee/index.php?id=pictures-of-the-estonian-national-dishes

How-to videos of Estonian national dishes

http://www.maaturism.ee/index.php?id=estonian-national-dishes-recipes-videos



Healthy eating initiatives

http://www.toitumine.ee/ (Estonian language website about eating)

http://www.toitumisteraapia.ee/tervislik-toitumine



AN ESTONIAN RECIPY FOR A DESSERT – TRY IT OUT ☺☺☺☺

KAMA MOUSSE (KAMAVAHT in Estonian)

Kama mousse is made of whipped cream, with kama flour/meal and sugar or

honey added to it.

Watch the video how to make it at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDseEdbtiTc !!!

Ingredients for the mousse:

4 dl cream (to be whipped)

3 tablespoons sugar

4 tablespoons kama flour/meal

Ingredients for cranberry sauce:

100 g cranberries

1 dl sugar treacle (0,5 dl water and 50 g sugar)

Makes 4 servings, each 100 g

ENJOY!



200 g boiled carrots

1 medium salted herring

2–3 boiled eggs

200 g roasted pork or boiled meat (not sausage!)

ESTONIAN CUISINE

700 g boiled beetroot

1–2 pickled cucumbers

2 apples

400 g boiled potatoes

Beetroot salad

From the heyday of the Republic of Estonia in the 1930s until the late 1950s, no decent party in the country was held without beetroot salad. This fashionable dish was gradually replaced by potato salad that is much easier to prepare. Besides, the latter contains no herring, a fi sh not to everyone’s liking. It is worthwhile recalling this nearly forgotten dish, as correctly prepared beetroot salad is quite exceptional and resem-bles no other mixed salad today.

Dressing:5 dl thick soured cream (may partly

be replaced by thick yoghurt), salt, 0.5 teaspoonfuls mustard, a

pinch of sugar

Cut everything (except eggs) into small cubes. For the

dressing, mix soured cream, mustard, salt and sugar. Add

the cubes, leave for an hour or two. Cover the salad with ribbons or sectors of

crushed egg whites and yolks.

ESTONIAN CUISINE

Wild mushroom dish makes 4 servings

135 g wild mushrooms in brine, soaked160 g soured cream40 g leek, blanched 2 g dill sprigs20 g garlic green shoots 8 g mushroom bouillon powder16 g gelatine powder

Line a mould with the blanched leek. Prepare the gelatine. Blend the mushrooms with soured cream and fi nely chopped greens, add the gelatine. Pour the mix in the prepared mould and leave to set in a cool place.

Estonia is a Nordic country, which also says a lot about Estonian cuisine: eating habits, food, ways of cooking, etc. The considerable contrast between seasons, quite unusual for a southerner, is also refl ected in the rhythm of life of our people, being closer to nature than the average European. An Estonian tends to be slow and introvert in autumn and winter, and much more ener-getic and communicative in summertime. How, what, and where an Estonian eats seems largely to be determined by the length and warmth of the days. Darkness and frost bring sauerkraut and roast, brawn and black pudding, thick soup and stew to the table. In summertime, on the other hand, people seem to survive on little but the warmth and sunlight, accompanied by everything light and fresh that gardens and forests have to offer.

When the fi rst signs of autumn appear, in August, a sudden change of mood overcomes Estonians who have so far been enjoying a carefree summer. Clouds of steam and delicious smells emanate from the kitchens until the late hours; cellars, fridges and larders fi ll up with jams, preserves and pickles. Late summer inevitably means weekends in the forest, often several hours’ drive from home, and a triumphant return with basketfuls of berries and mushrooms.

Nowadays, gathering and conserving the fruits of the forest has retained a mainly ritual signifi cance, though an instinctive desire to face the winter with a full larder is undoubtedly also important. Thus, hunting and fi shing – adventure and entertainment for the modern city folk – still provide a signifi cant amount of extra food for country people.

The most popular drinks were light malt ale in North Estonia and light ale made from barley and rye in South Estonia, or throughout the country birch sap in spring. Beer has been the traditional beverage for all occasions, having displaced mead, its ancient rival brewed from honey, several hundred years ago. Ale brewing, especially on our larger islands, has always been a serious and important business for the local people. The islanders’ secret tricks of the trade remain a mystery to mainlanders even today. The beer, served in large wooden tankards, is all the more insidious for its mild taste.

To those Estonians who have moved to the cities over the last few generations, the cuisine of their mostly country-based forefathers from the late 19th century has become rather unfamiliar. Regional distinctions, sharply defi ned a hundred years ago, have now become fairly hazy. In the past, islanders and coastal people, living on poor, stony land, mostly ate potatoes and salted, dried or smoked fi sh with their bread. Inland farmers raised cattle, from which only the milch cows and breeding animals were kept over the winter. The fatal day for rams was Michael-mas on 29 September; St. Martin’s Day on 10 November always had a goose on the table, and on St. Catherine’s Day (25 November), there was chicken. Before Christ-mas, a fatted pig was killed. After the festive food was prepared, the salted meat and lard were supposed to last until next autumn. Seasoning was mostly done with salt: only urban artisans and the landed gentry could afford expensive spices. Honey was used rather than sugar, and was viewed as a medicine as much as a foodstuff.

On weekdays, a farmer would sit down to pearl barley porridge with sour milk, or boiled unpeeled potatoes with curd or salted Baltic herring; on festive days, he could also enjoy butter, meat or egg porridge. At more prosperous farms, where the purse strings were not so tight, farm-hands and maids ate at the same table with the farmer and his wife. Farmhands at a stingy farmer’s table had only potatoes, bread, thin gruel and salt herring, and occasionally porridge; the same food was given to rural labourers.

Baltic herring souffl é piemakes 4 servings

120 g wheat fl our25 g butter10 g fresh dill, chopped4 Baltic herring fi llets, fi nely chopped50 g cream cheese25 g egg white20 g leek, fi nely chopped crushed black pepper

Make shortcrust pastry, add some fresh dill. Roll the dough out and use pastry cutters to make 4 thin containers. Whisk egg whites, add the fi sh fi llets and the leek, season with pepper. Fill the containers with the mix and bake in the oven at 200° C.

The cultivation of potatoes, a crop introduced into manorial kitchen gardens by the 1740s, fi nally ‘took root’ during the 19th century. By 1900, potatoes had become a staple of regional food, competing with pearl barley porridge. It competed so successfully, in fact, that only recently Estonia came second in the world (after Poland) in per capita potato yield. Spices, and various new dishes such as semolina and rice porridge gradually made their way from manor and city kitchens to the tables of wealthier farmers.

As with potatoes, getting used to coffee, which arrived in Estonia in the late 17th century, took a long time. By the end of the 19th century, however, Tallinn had several cafés of almost the same standard as those in Central Europe, and at the same time the habit of drinking coffee also spread amongst the farmers. In the country, people drank home-roasted and hand-ground coffee on Sundays, as well as on festive days and when guests arrived. On weekdays, a simpler ‘coffee’ made from roasted grain and chicory was regarded as good enough.

Café Energy in Tallinn, late 1950s.

An example of dishes most suitable to be served

together.

Monday LunchMarinated Goose No 260. or 261.

(2) Mutton soup. 57. (3) Pike Pate with Oysters. 365. (4) Beef

frigacy. 103. (5) Sugar cake without butter. 692. (6) Red Cream of Ground Rice. 810.

Alongside the meagre peasant fare, refi ned and ample manorial cuisine fl ourished in Estonia. The local landed nobility who prospered on the lucrative distilling trade in the late 18th century, had the best French and German wines together with exotic fruits and other extravagant food, e.g. fresh Atlantic oysters, packed in ice, on their table.

The fi rst Estonian language cookery book providing daily menus for the whole year was translated from Swedish – so it could be understood by chefs and kitchen hands of native origin – and published in 1781.

In the course of the century, Estonians’ everyday food has inevitably changed in line with the times and circumstances.

The most impressive period in people’s memory was the 1930s – the years of stability, an increasing sense of national awareness and wellbeing in the Republic of Estonia. The more progressively-minded women who usually studied at various housekeeping schools and courses, were no longer satisfi ed with traditional simple peasant food. European recipes of meat dishes, oven-baked items and desserts promoted in women’s maga-zines and cookery books were eagerly tried out. A con-siderably swifter development occurred in towns where the choice in shops was wider and where more informa-tion was available about the rest of the world. An urban citizen could additionally entertain his guests outside his home as the best restaurants in the capital and summer resorts could stand comparison with similar establish-ments in other parts of Europe.

All these links abroad were broken by the Second World War, the end of which brought along not only an alien power, but also the closing of the borders. Two sub-sequent generations had to adapt to a strange culture of cooking, much limited choice of food products and diffi -culties in obtaining them. People were not exactly hungry but their daily food became extremely boring and hap-hazard, particularly towards the end of the Soviet period in the late 1980s. At that time, planning a meal was point-less – people simply cooked whatever was available. The shops were increasingly empty, whereas various food-stuffs were sold at workplaces: the package with 200 g of sausages always included 5-6 compulsory and rather useless items. Cookery books with titles such as „100 Sausage Dishes“ or „Porridges“ refl ected perfectly the general situation.

Estonia regained its independence about a decade before the turn of the millennium. Besides freedom, people acquired a wealth of food, hundreds of new fl avours and dozens of formerly unknown food products. People felt like children from a remote village who suddenly found themselves in a sweet shop where they could not only look at, but in fact taste everything. By today, the novelty has become norm. The choice of food and spices for an Estonian’s daily meals is perfectly adequate, although leaves somewhat to be desired where special requirements are concerned. Money saved is increasingly used for travelling, and foreign dishes are later tried out at home. In bigger towns various restau-rants offer food from other countries, and many now manage to satisfy even the most demanding visitors.

Spices Estonian food is generally regarded as modestly spiced. However, in the Middle Ages people grew parsley, onions, garlic, dill, clary, horseradish, white poppy, etc. The most coveted spice was salt, mainly imported from France, Portugal and Germany. Thanks to Hanseatic trading, Tallinn was also introduced to Oriental spices and dried fruits: ginger, pepper, clove, saffron, cinnamon, cardamom, aniseed, olives, etc – the list is long. In addition to enhancing the taste of the dish to which they were added, the spices were supposed to offer protection from plague and other illnesses.

Salt

Dill

Butter

May your bread last!Estonian fare has never been too plenti-ful, and this is perhaps the reason why the habit of wishing one another ‘bon appetit’ has not taken root here. Instead, people say: “May your bread last!” Apart from a few periods of famine, Estonia has not lacked black, leavened rye bread. Even those who have lived abroad for dozens of years still do not forget its characteris-tic taste.

Food-related

predictions and taboos

Food must not be dribbled on the table or

your future spouse could take to drink. For the same reason,

the slice of cake placed on the plate was not supposed to fall over. The latter

could also indicate spinsterhood for the woman.

Wiping the table with your hand meant a row, whereas wiping it with paper or a woollen cloth predicted hunger and destitution.

Who eats bread with potatoes will be sent to Siberia.

While kneading, the fi ngers had to be held tightly in a fi st, especially if it was a young girl – or she might be led into sin.

If you dropped a piece of bread, you had to kiss it.

Layered bread and apple dessert with cottage cheese

makes 25 servings

0.5 kg dry sourdough rye breadcrumbs0.5 kg light brown sugarground cinnamon 3 kg apples, cored, peeled and sliced100 g butter2 kg cottage cheesevanilla sugar2 litres double cream0.5 kg fresh blackcurrants0.2 kg chopped hazelnutssome blackcurrant sprigs

Fry the breadcrumbs with butter, 200 g sugar and cinnamon. Whip the cream and fold gently into the cottage cheese, then add vanilla. Place the apples in a saucepan with a little water. Cook gently until tender, add the currants and a little sugar, remove saucepan right away from stove. Cool quickly in cold water. Use the remaining sugar for making caramel; mix this with the chopped walnuts. Save part of the praline for gar-

nish, mixing the rest with the fried bread-crumbs. Arrange the bread

mix in individual serv-ing bowls and layer

with the cheese and apple mixes. Sprinkle withthe praline.

The most acceptable dishes for Estonian taste, used with the traditional choice of food, have been consist-ently and systematically introduced by the food writers of women’s magazines, TV chefs and a range of cookery books. The cuisine of Italy, Greece and other Mediterranean coun-tries, greatly favoured in the West during the last decades, have been especially popular. Tex-mex cuisine has found a surprisingly extensive following as well.

How and to what extent has sitting at the world’s table infl uenced the daily fare of ordinary Estonians?

First – who is an ordinary Estonian? This category probably embraces about 85–90% of working Estonians. An average Estonian receives an average or lower than average salary and makes ends meet. However, he cannot often afford time-saving, but fairly expensive ready-made meals, to say nothing of going out for dinner; at the workplace he eats something brought from home, fetches a salad from a nearby shop or fi nds the closest Oriental fast food outlet.

The home cooking of an average Estonian still mainly entails the age-old combination of potato and sauce, although stews, roasts and soups are quite popular as well. People are increasingly fond of chicken and red fi sh. The Estonian-style potato salad with may-onnaise and sour cream dressing, served as a substan-tial dinner or as part of a cold table, has lost none of its appeal. Also popular are lighter vegetable salads with vinaigrette dressing. A wide range of dairy products is consumed, such as curd, local unpastorised yoghurts and various curd desserts. This is the area where nothing can shake the consumer’s faith in the superior quality of local products. Cooking oil has replaced margarine, and people boldly consume Italian tomato sauces and preserves, Asian-style exciting spices and dressings, rice, pasta and couscous.

Baked apples8 small apples0.5 cup of raisins1 tbs sugar (or 2 tsb brown sugar)1 tsb cinnamon

Preheat oven to 200º C. Core washed apples, leave the bottom of apples intact to create a hollow. Mix raisins, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Place apples upright and close together in a buttered baking dish. Fill each cavity with raisin mixture. Bake at 200º C until tender, for 25-40 minutes depending on the type of apples. Serve with vanilla ice cream or custard.

The previously meagre Christmas meal became more plentiful at the end of the 1930s, and has not changed much since then. Financial constraints or weight-watching do not really matter as a proper Christ-mas table must groan under generous portions of brawn, roast pork or goose, roast potatoes, sauerkraut and black pudding, apples, tangerines, chocolate, nuts, and ginger-bread. Even if a family with children buys everything necessary from the shops, gingerbread is made at home out of the pure joy of the whole process.

The New Year therefore usually starts with a serious culinary hangover and deep regrets, sometimes followed by a few weeks of rigorous weight watching. During the subsequent eleven months, all that will be conveniently forgotten and everything is repeated again over the next Christmas period. After all, Christmas is the only time when ‘bon appetit’ is more appropriate than ‘may your bread last’!

Estonians have never produced hard cheese as it is known in France, Switzerland or Holland. In the Middle Ages, however, cheese was made by the coastal Swedes inhabiting the westerns shores of Estonia, who also paid their taxes with cheese. In the areas of south-eastern Estonia bordering Russia, people have been making relatively hard, albeit rather quickly produced, cottage cheese with caraway seeds called ‘sõir’. The fi rst cured hard cheese was primarily introduced in Estonia by German lords of the manor and wealthy urban citizens.

Soured milk drinks, curd or quark in its most primitive form have always enjoyed great popularity among the Estonians. The latter evidently initially came from the German cuisine; it arrived in St Petersburg together with Empress Catherine, and from there tra-velled to Estonia and to Finland during the 18th century.

Easter is celebrated together with the arrival of spring; people paint eggs in bright colours and give them to one another, whereas the more enterprising make pasha.

The tradition of eating pea soup and trotters on Shrove Tuesday and goose on St Martin’s Day has mostly survived in rural areas. For an urban citizen of several generations, maintaining old customs now simply entails buying a box of Shrove buns topped with whipped cream at the nearest café.

Eating preferences of wealthier Estonians are not so drastically different as might be considered. Vari-ations emerge elsewhere. The group, mostly in their early middle age, eats lunch at a reasonably priced res-taurant in the vicinity of their offi ce. Dinner is often purchased at the supermarket delicatessen counter. Tinned meals? The choice here too has grown enor-mously in the past years. Talking about long-term national eating habits, these are mostly followed on folk calendar holidays, the most signifi cant being the pagan ’jõul’ (Nordic Jul, Old English Yule), celebrated long before the arrival of Christianity.

The new trend in the eating habits of Estonians is by no means only limited to new food products and spices. The innovations that shook the whole society caused powerful undercurrents that have elevated eating, once serving merely the physiological needs satisfi ed within the four walls of home, to the focus of keen public interest. Every self-respecting newspaper or journal has a food column, every slightly lengthier interview examines the respond-ent’s relationship to the food that (s)he eats. Cafés, restau-rants and specialist food shops are regularly reviewed, compared and assessed, all of which benefi ts the know-ledge Estonians now have about cuisine.

There are no fi xed times for meals in Estonia today. Breakfast is usually eaten at home before going to work. There are two main breakfast traditions: half the population drinks coffee with milk and eats open sandwiches with ham, hard cheese or fi sh, the other half prefers porridge or muesli with milk. After midday it is time for a light snack. Lunch is often altogether neglected. A family meets for a joint meal only over the weekend, and sometimes not even then.

Kama mousse200 g curd2 dl double cream or cream substitute 200 g berries of your own liking 2 dl kama fl our0.5 dl or more sugar

Puree the berries, but leave some for decora-tion; mix with sieved curd. Add kama blended with sugar. Whip the cream, pour the mix on top and stir. More sugar may be added. Spoon the mix into bowls and decorate with berries.

Estonian gourmetThere are chefs who insist that the Estonian restaurant gourmet should only use local seasonal raw material, but apply the methods and technology of classical French cuisine in the kitchen. Afi cionados of national gourmet cuisine support the principle that national cuisine and eating traditions are the most precious treasures of a small nation, and must be appreciated accordingly.

To promote their work and to establish better rela-tions with other countries, the more active chefs founded the Estonian Chefs’ Association in 2000.

Competitions such as Approved Estonian Taste and The Best Estonian Product always attract a large number of par-ticipants. In addition to the usual new products, a few years ago the latter introduced the competition of functional, i.e. healthy products and then products that follow national traditions.

Eating out has not (so far) been an essential part in the culture of communicating between people in Estonia. The reason is not so much the level of prices, but rather the lack of tradition. Food has always been for nurturing the body and not the soul: friends meet up in cafés or pubs. Food is not generally a topic of conversation, and praising the meal can be embarrassing, even to the waiter. There is, however, ample cause to praise food in restaurants, as some offer an enjoyable meal at a very high level. An interest in eating is further encouraged by TV cooking programmes and a wide range of cookery books.

Besides following international trends and getting to know new fl avours the Estonian restaurant culture seems at fi rst glance to proceed the other way round – professional chefs are busy creating a national gourmet cuisine. Both areas of activity moreover involve the same people.

Text: Maire Suitsu

Design and illustrations: Krete Pajo

Translation: Tiina Randviir

Language editor: Neil Taylor

Photos: Krete Pajo, Estonian Museum of Applied Art

and Design, Jarek Jõepera, Tiit Rammul, Rivo Mehilane,

Rauno Volmar, Ingmar Muusikus, family album.

Stuffed chicken wings with delicate pumpkin-horseradish cream

4 chicken half-wings120 g dark chicken meat40 g carrot-onion mix30 ml crème fraîche or double cream 40 g smoked baconsalt and pepper, garlic

Bone the wings but keep the shoulder bones. Stuff cavity with paté-mix, made from the minced meat, the cream and the vegetables, fried with the bacon and seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic and mushroom soy sauce. Bake in the oven at 180 .̊

Cream200 g pickled pumpkin200 g marinated horseradish4 dl soured cream or crème fraîche salt

Squeeze the horseradish completely dry, chop the pumpkin cubes with chef’s knife. Whip the cream and fold gently with the horseradish; add the pumpkin mince. Season with salt.

T

allinn sprats

B

altic herring rolls

Saaremaa smoked fl ounder

Fru

itwin

e Põlt

samaa

Ku ld

ne

Mulg

i curd cakes

Narva lamprey

Estonian Cuisine

Published by the Estonian Institute

10140 Tallinn, Estonia

Tel (+372) 6314 355

Fax (+372) 6314 356

e-mail: [email protected]

www.estinst.ee

ISBN 9985-9509-7-6

COLLECTION OF ARTICLES

ABOUT

EATING HABITS IN ESTONIA

2012



Eating Disorders in 7.7% of Estonian

Women

Published: 15.11.2010 11:27

Photo: Postimees/Scanpix

As the first study of its kind in Estonia, a fresh doctor's dissertation at the University of Tartu

studied eating disorder trends in the nation.

Kirsti Akermann's research found that 7.7 percent of women and 1 percent of men in Estonia

have eating disorders, wrote Eesti Päevaleht.

The number of overweight adult Estonians decreased in the 1990s; however, it began rising in

the 2000s. In 2008, 56 percent of men and 45 percent of women were overweight, according

to the Institute for Health Development. The share of overwieght schoolchildren increased

from 6.1 percent in 2008 to 9.6 in 2009.

Experts equate eating disorders – such as anorexia, bulimia and overeating – with other

addictions. Likewise, many people do not look for help to overcome the problems.



Estonia: Europe's Slimmest Women, Study

Finds (4)

Published: 25.07.2011 17:14


Last year, the lowest average body mass index in Europe - 23.5 - was that of Estonian women,

a study by the World Health Organization revealed.

Estonian men are also below the European average, with their BMI at 25.1, reported

Postimees.

Greece had the most overweight men with a BMI of 28, while Malta had the highest average

for women - 28.3.

Despite data that seem to indicate a more fit society, Estonians still need to get on the

treadmill more often - at least according to Minister of Social Affairs Hanno Pevkur. During a

press conference on July 21, Pevkur said the problem of obesity in Estonia is getting worse:

overweight people accounted for 32 percent of the nation's population in 2010, giving rise to

accompanying worries, such as high cholesterol and heart disease.



Estonia in EU's Top 3 for Share of

Overweight Women (5)

Published: 25.11.2011 09:52


Estonia is currently placing third in the EU for the proportion of obese women, according to a

recent study conducted by Eurostat in 19 member states.

Obesity was defined as the Body Mass Index (BMI) of the person exceeding 30.

This study somewhat counterbalances the image proposed in a 2010 report by the World

Health Organization which, measuring the whole population's average BMI by country, found

Estonian women to be Europe's slimmest.

The highest share of obese women - 24 percent - was recorded in the UK. Latvia and Malta

shared the second place with 21 percent, while Estonia was third with 20.5 percent.

The lowest percentage of obese women was found in Romania (8 percent) and Italy (9

percent).

In Estonia obesity is a much more common problem among the female population. The share

of overweight men in Estonia is significantly lower - 16 percent, which puts them in the 11th

place in the EU.

According to the study, obesity occurred more often among women with a less advanced

education level, while in men overweight was more of a problem among those having a

higher education.



Estonia Increasingly Becoming an

Overweight Nation

Published: 21.07.2011 17:42

Photo: PA Wire/Scanpix

While most indicators for the nation's health are improving - including overall life expectancy

- the problem of obesity is getting worse, said Minister of Social Affairs Hanno Pevkur,

presenting his health development plan at a press conference on July 21.

Overweight people accounted for 32 percent of the nation's population in 2010, giving rise to

accompanying worries, such as high cholestrol and heart disease, the minister said. Calling

the development a "bad trend," Pevkur said: "Everyone should play a part to improve their

behavioral and physical activities and other habits."

On a positive note, alcohol consumption has declined: during the 2008 peak, the country

consumed 12.6 liters of pure alcohol per person per year; in 2010, the stat fell to 9.7 liters.

The number of HIV infections also dropped last year by 10 percent. But the virus continues to

be a problem, mainly in northeastern Estonia and the capital. Those two areas account for,

respectively, 45 and 44 percent of nation's total HIV cases.

The state aims to lower the count to 20 cases per 100,000 people as a national average,

compared to the current 100 cases per 100,000 in the before-mentioned hot spots.



Obesity Above EU Average

Published: 08.12.2010 11:16


Estonia is above the EU average for obesity, according to a new report from the OECD and

the European Commission. A total of 18 percent of the adult population was obese, up five

percentage points from just six years ago.

The study, which revealed overweight problems in the EU had doubled in the last 20 years,

showed that Estonia ranked ninth in obesity. The worst countries for obesity were Great

Britain, Ireland and Malta; more than 20 percent of the adult population is obese in Iceland

and Luxembourg as well.

Of the Baltics, Estonia was doing better than Lithuania but worse than Latvia.

Among the Nordics, only in Iceland - not in the EU but included in the study - there was a

greater percentage of the adult population obese than in Estonia.



Eating Disorders Rampant in Estonia

Jan 4, 2011 by Eating Disorder Magazine

Eating disorders are a problem that plague women across the globe. While symptoms can vary

between specific disorders, the shame and physical risks associated with disordered eating

behaviors are consistent. Many women who have eating disorders hide their eating disorders

for many years, causing damage to their bodies through malnutrition.

Hiding an eating disorder can cause the problem to advance until it is very difficult to reverse

the patterns of behavior that characterize the disorder. In time, the individual develops

problems with malnutrition and heart malfunction due to restricted calorie intake and

extremely low body weight.

A recent study examined the trends of eating disorders in the European country of Estonia.

The study is the first of its kind in Estonia, and found that 7.7 percent of Estonian women

struggle with eating disorders. The study’s author is Kirsti Akermann of the University of

Tartu who conducted the study for her dissertation.

Women are not the only Estonians who are affected by the widespread eating disorders in this

country. Men also suffer from eating disorders at a rate of 1 percent.

In addition to struggling with eating disorders, there are also many people in Estonia who

struggle with maintaining a healthy maximum weight. While Estonians saw a decrease in the

number of overweight adults during the 1990s, there was a rise in the problem during the

2000s.

The Institute for Health Development reports that in 2008, 56 percent of men and 45 percent

of women in Estonia were overweight. Children also began to be more overweight during the

2000s. While 6.1 percent of Estonian children were overweight in 2008, there was a sharp

increase to 9.6 percent in 2009.

The most commonly diagnosed eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.

Anorexia is characterized by an extreme restriction of calories and using radical exercise

methods to reduce the number of calories absorbed by the body. Bulimia symptoms include a

cycle of bingeing, in which an unusually large number of calories are consumed in a relatively

short amount of time, and purging, in which the food is expelled before it is absorbed using

self-induced vomiting or laxatives.

The cause for eating disorders is a complex combination of environmental and biological

factors. Eating disorders often emerge during adolescence or during a significant life change

such as divorce or the death of a loved one. While the exact causes of eating disorders are still

being explored, experts agree that early treatment is critical to help individuals restore

nutritional balance.



The young Estonians’

eating habits –

youngsters about youngsters about

themselves

Siiri Saaver, 8aTeacher: Merike Sikk


Contents� Main page� Contents� Introduction� Do the young admit to themselves that they eat in an unhealthy way?� Breakfast� Do the young eat healthy breakfast?Do the young eat healthy breakfast?� Lunch� Dinner� What is important for a young, when choosing food?� What is young people’s favourite food?� Is a hamburger really so unhealthy, as all the media says?� Conclusion� Made by


Introduction

� Many newspapers say young Estonian people have bad eating habits.

� Organization WHO says they eat too little fruit and have poor physical activeness.

� Do young Estonians eat in an unhealthy way?� Subquestions:1. Do the young admit to themselves that they eat in an unhealthy

way?2. Are all the meals during a day important?3. What is important for a young, when choosing food?4. What is young people’s favourite food?5. Is a hamburger really so unhealthy, as all the media says?


Do the young admit to themselves

that they eat unhealthy?� “Do you eat in an

unhealthy way or in a

healthy way?”

� 64 respondents

Healthy & unhealthy eaters

Unhealthy

Healthy

13%� 64 respondents

� Unhealthy – 56

5 wished to be on a diet

Healthy – 8

5 were on a diet

Unhealthy

87%

13%


Breakfast

� Should be relatively

rich in carbohydrates.

� Body waits in the

morning to get morning to get

carbohydrates.

� The constant influx of

nutrients is necessary

Carbohydrates – süsivesikud

Constant influx – pidev juurdevool

Nutrients - toitainedEuropean Commission’s Lifelong Learning Programme 2007-2013 - Grundtvig Learning Partnerships

2012-1-GB2-GRU06-08436

Do the young eat healthy breakfast?

� “Do you eat healthy

breakfast?”

� 31 respondents

Breakfast eaters

Eaters

71%

Uneaters

29%

� 22 say they eat

breakfast

7 eat healthy breakfast

� 9 don’t eat breakfast

Healthy & unhealthy breakfast

Healthy

68%

Unhealthy

32%


Lunch

� At the school canteen is served balanced food.

� Even buns are better � Even buns are better than nothing.

� A bun consists of nutrients, mostly carbohydrates, less protein and fat.


Dinner

� It’s the last meal time.

� It should consist of fruit & vegetables.

� Should be poor with � Should be poor with carbohydrates.

� It is not unhealthy when you eat at 7 p.m., if you are active at least till 9 p.m.


What is important for a young,

when choosing food?� “When you go to a grocery, then

according to what do you choose food?”

� How does it taste? – 25 times mentioned

� How does it look? – 16 times mentioned

Choosing food

"Best Before"

Price

5%

Vegetal origin

1%Taste

33%� How does it look? – 16 times

mentioned

� What are its components? – 13 times

� What is my appetite? – 6 times mentioned

� How does it smell? – 6 times mentioned

� What is the “Best Before” date? – 5 times mentioned

� How much does it cost? – 4 times mentioned

� Is it for vegetarians? – 1 time mentioned

Smell

8%

"Best Before"

7%

Components

17%

Appetite

8%

33%

Looks

21%


What is young people’s favourite

food?

A bun

12%

Gum

1%

Rice

1%

Mash

1%Canned

1%Chips

1%

Sausage

2%

Wieners

1%

Rissole

2%Pancakes

2%

Sour cream

French fries

1%

Mince

1% Paste

1%

A hamburger

13%

�If you had 25

kroons and you

were really

hungry, what would you buy?

Chocolate

7%

Fruit

7%

Fast noodles

5%

Fast soup

3%Yoghurt

3%Candies

3%

Ice-cream

3%Black bread

3%

White bread

4%

Pasta

4%

Pizza

4%

Salad

5%

Pelmens

2%

Sour cream

2%

Vegetables

3%

would you buy?

Rissole – kotlet

Canned – konserv

Mash – kartulipuder

Mince - hakkliha


Is a hamburger really so

unhealthy, as all the media says?� Buns

� Rissole

� Cheese

� Salad

� Tomato� Tomato

If you eat a hamburger once a week or a month, nothing happens with you.

In a day vegetarian food should beabout 75-80% and the remaining is animal food.

In the USA it is considered that fast-food should be forbidden.


Conclusion

Subquestions:1. Do the young admit to themselves that they eat in an unhealthy

way? – Yes, they do.2. Are all the meals during a day important? – Yes, they are.3. What is important for a young, when choosing food? The taste and

the looks. the looks. 4. What is young people’s favourite food? A hamburger, a bun.5. Is a hamburger really so unhealthy, as all the media says? Yes, it is.

Do young Estonians eat in an unhealthy way?Yes, the young Estonians eat in an unhealthy way.


Made by

Siiri Saaver, 8a

Teacher: Merike Sikk

2005

Websites used:

www.rate.ee

www.vedur.ee



2012-1-GB2-GRU06-08436

FIRSTS

• Beetroot with goat cheese • Filled eggs • Tomato soup

MAINS • Cabbage stew with minced meat • Green salad with duck fillet • Hotpot

DESSERTS • Black bread soup with rasins and apple • Buttermilk jello • Kama moussee with berries


INGREDIENTS ELABORATION

BEETROOT WITH GOAT CHEESE

- 1 beetroot - 120g goat cheese - olive oil - balsamic wine acid - peppermint - oregano - parsley

- First wash the beetroot and slice into sectors. - Spray a bit of olive oil, flavor with salt, pepper, chopped peppermint and oregano. - Cook in the oven at 200 degrees for 30 minutes, stir time to time. - Now take it out and crumb over with goat cheese. - Cook at grill function for 10 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown. - Before serving spray on balsamic wine acid and decorate with chopped parsley.

Presented by Siksali Development Centre, Võru, Estonia


2012-1-GB2-GRU06-08436


FILLED EGGS

12 pieces - 6 hardboiled eggs - 50g butter (at room temperature) - 1-2 tablespoons mayonnaise - 1-2 teaspoons mustard - salt - parsley - cranberries

- Peel the hardboiled eggs and slice every egg in half. Take out the yolk. - Mix the yolks and soft butter by fork. - Now add the mayonnaise, mustard and flavor with salt. - Put the yellow mixture into the halves of eggs. - Decorate with parsley and cranberries.



2012-1-GB2-GRU06-08436


TOMATO SOUP

- 800g crushed tomatoes - 3dl chicken broth - 3 cloves of garlic - 2 tablespoon oil - 2 tablespoons mascarpone - 2 teaspoons sugar - basil - salt - pepper

- Start with chopping the onion and garlic. - Heat the oil in the pot, then brown onion and garlic in it for couple of minutes. - Add crushed tomatoes and chicken broth. - Bring the mixture to the boiling point and boil for 10 minutes. - Add mascarpone. - Now mash the soup in blender or food processor. - Flavor with sugar, salt, pepper and basil.



2012-1-GB2-GRU06-08436


CABBAGE STEW

For 6 persons - 400g minced meat - 1 tablespoon oil - 1 onion - 1 tablespoon flour - 1kg white cabbage - 2 dl water - 250g sour cream - salt - pepper - dill

- First heat the oil on a pan, then add minced meat and chopped onion and brown it for 5 minutes. - Flavor with salt and pepper. - Add flour, simmer for a moment. Now take the pan off from heat. - Pour the meat into a bigger pot. - Cut the cabbage into strikes and add to meat. - Pour over with water, cover with a lid and stew for about 20 minutes. - Add sour cream, simmer for 10 minutes and take off from the heat. - Flavor with chopped dill. - Serve with boiled potatoes.



2012-1-GB2-GRU06-08436


GREEN SALAD WITH DUCK FILLET

- 550g duck breast fillet - 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced - 4 teaspoons grained mustard - salt - pepper - 1 box lettuce mix - 200g French beans - 100g frozen spinach - 1 avocado - 1 fresh cucumber - 2 tablespoons basil pesto - oil for browning

- First put the fillet to a cold pan, then switch the heat on a higher level and brown until the fillet is nice and crispy. - Shake salt and pepper on the surface of fillet and turn the other side. - Brown both sides about 2 minutes. - Next put browned fillet on the tin foil paper and spread on mustard. Put garlic slices on top and under the fillet. - Add salt and pepper if necessary. - Wrap tin foil paper closely around the fillet and cook in the oven at 200 degrees for 7-8 minutes. - Then take the fillet out and let it stay in the tin foil paper for extra 10 minutes. At the same time start preparing the salad. - Brown spinach with French beans, add salt and leave to cool down. - Mix lettuce, hashed avocado, strips of cucumber and pesto. Now add spinach and French beans. - Cut the fillet into thin pieces and serve with salad.



2012-1-GB2-GRU06-08436


ESTONIAN HOTPOT

For 4 people: - 400 g beef - 200 g smoked rib meat - 0,5 onion - 0,5 cabbage - 4 carrots - 1 rutabaga - 4 potatoes - 0,5-1 l water - salt - butter - chopped herbs

- First slice the beef into cubes and then brown the cubes in butter in the bottom of the pot. - Then add smaller cubes of smoked rib meat, peeled onion and cabbage, that is cut smaller sectors. - Pour water on and stew at low temperature for 25-30 minutes. - Add peeled and sliced carrots and rutagaba (not very small pieces), keep stewing for another 10 minutes. - Now add peeled and cut into 4 sectors potatoes and keep stewing for extra 20 minutes. - Flavor with salt and stew until the vegetables are soft. - Decorate with chopped herbs.



2012-1-GB2-GRU06-08436


BLACK BREAD SOUP

- 1,5l water - 250g rye-bread - 1dl raisins - 5 apples - 1 dl raw sugar - lemon peels

- Pour cold water over rye-bread. Let it stay until the bread is soft. - Peel apples and cut into small pieces. Add apples and raisins to bread soup. - Start boiling the soup, stew it at low temperature about 10 minutes. Stir time to time. - At the end of boiling add sugar and lemon peels. - Serve with milk, whipped cream or sour cream.



2012-1-GB2-GRU06-08436


BUTTERMILK JELLO

For 2 persons: - 4dl buttermilk (kefir) - 3 teaspoons gelatin - 0,5dl water (for gelatin) - 1 teaspoon vanilla - 2,5 tablespoons raw sugar - blueberries

- Put gelatin in the water, let it swell for 5 minutes. - Now warm in water bath until gelatin is melted. - Pour slowly the melted gelatin into buttermilk. - Flavor with sugar and vanilla. - Mix properly. - Divide into dessert bowls. - Add blueberries. - Put into the freezer for 2 hours to overnight. - Decorate with blueberries.

Presented by Siksali Development Centre, Estonia


2012-1-GB2-GRU06-08436


KAMA MOUSSE WITH BERRIES

- 400g heavy cream - 6-8 tablespoons sugar - 6 tablespoons kama - 600g cottage cheese paste - 2 tablespoons vanilla - 5 dl berries - 1 tablespoon powder sugar - 1-2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice - 1 tablespoon rum or berry liquor (if you wish)

- Whip the heavy cream up with sugar and vanilla. - Add kama and cottage cheese paste and mix to an even cream. - Mash berries with blender or food processor. - Add powder sugar, lemon juice and rum. Mix it well. - Serve cream with berry sauce. - Decorate with whole berries and mint leaves.

Presented by Siksali Development Centre, Võru, Estonia.

03 booklet siskali ee completo

Documents

majority of estonian

estonian cold table

traditional estonian

estonian eating habits

estonian national funding

popular estonian dishes

estonian signature dish

community development